I am very happy to hear that devotees are gathering together in Penang to pay their homage to His Holiness Bhakti Vrajendra Swami Maharaj and showing their love, affection, dedication and loving service to the cause of our society, mission of Sri ChaitnyaMahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada. He is definitely a great soul, Mahatma… I know him from Birmingham from early 70’s. He used to come to the Birmingham centre and whatever he gets, he used to help the centre as the temple used to have hard days during that period. Later on, he came to London and used to distribute book, to work very hard and everybody appreciated his service - because Srila Prabhupada says ISKCON is a preaching movement, and ultimately book distribution. Krishna says, “No one was or will be so dear to Me than one who preaches this Krishna Consciousness. Continue reading "Remembering His Holiness Bhakti Vrajendra Nandan Swami
→ Dandavats"

The post Daily Darshan: December 18,2017 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Today Santa Barbara County lifted the evacuation order for the neighborhood of my ashram in Carpinteria, and Kuntidevi will be returning with the Deities and other items, to begin the arduous process of cleaning up the property, reestablishing the worship, and restoring the ashram to proper function. We wish her well in her endeavor, in difficult circumstances, by Srila Prabhupada and Their Lordships’ grace.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

There are many devotional programs going on in the greater Sydney area. Sometimes they are held in halls and other times at devotee homes. Generally, there is kirtan, lecture, arati and prasadam feast.

Recently, I was invited to attend a program in the home of Umesh Prabhu and his good wife Suman Prabhu. They have a beautiful dedicated temple room and about fifty enthusiastic devotees attended the evening.

SB 05.19.06 All Wonderful for the Liberated 2013-03-30

Lecture – Srimad Bhagavatam 5.19.6 All Wonderful for the Liberated 2013-03-30 Radhadesh

SB 01.14.03 Safe Landing 2013-03-27

Lecture – SB 1.14.03 Safe Landing 2013-03-27 Radhadesh

CC Adi 17 Tattvavit Pr, M. Visakha; Kolaveca Sridhara 2013-03-27

Lecture – Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 17 Tattvavit Pr, M. Visakha; Kolaveca Sridhara 2013-03-27 Radhadesh

Sri Sri Jagannath Ratha Yatra 2017, Iskcon Klang, Malaysia
(Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Caitanya Mahaprabhu says: “I have brought medicine to awaken very living being from perpetual sleep. Please receive the holy name of the Lord, the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, and awaken. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 5.13.9 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/1csC1W

UK - December Book Marathon 2017 (Album with photos)
ISKCON Birmingham’s 5000 offering to Srila Prabhupada!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/fSJKUL

Iskcon Brisbane Temple: Thank you to the 25 wonderful (!) devotees who came out to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books today. Below are pics of the training and practicing before hand.
Here’s the list of Srila Prabhupada’s frontline soldiers!
Darshan Grewal
Laksmi priya
Rajal
Kanchana
Aarya
Shivali
Caru candravali
Hari Varta
Hitashi
Divya
Niyati
Vasu
Gangesvara Caitanya
Saumya
Radheshyam
Dominic
Vrindavancandra
Dharmesh Porwal
Dauji
Tulasi Bhakti
Prema Nama
Saci mata
Shushank
Ranga
Adya Shakti
Find them here: https://goo.gl/dsC8Qu

Srimad Bhagavatam Class 11.6.5-7 By Radhika Raman Prabhu At Iskcon Chowpatty On 15th Dec 2017 (video)
Why we should bow down in...

Srila Prabhupada wanted us to show by example how to become freed from dependency on city life and satisfied with the village idea. “ But we are not going to develop a competitive farming enterprise for making money. The basic principle is to become independent of artificial city life ...Gandhi had this idea, the one defect was that there was no Krishna in the center. So the same idea of village organization , but keeping Krishna in the center should be introduced on our farm projects . ” Continue reading "Community by Design
→ Dandavats"

The tour stopped in the cities and communities listed below and achieved great success, being met by enthusiastic and supportive devotees who made small and large financial sacrifices according to their means for the project. The total amount of pledges exceeded $3 million U.S., an astounding amount considering the small size of some of the communities. All these devotees are to be thanked. Continue reading "TOVP Australasia Tour Report
→ Dandavats"

Actors Namitha and Veera reviews. Financial Express article. Bhanu Swami interview. Yadubara das⁩ interview with Hrishi K on radio one. Urban Asia interview. IANS Review. Movie Talkies Review. Vivek Bindra, a well known motivational speaker, talks about movies then HARE KRISHNA! Continue reading "Celebrities and the media along with the public, in India, thrilled by the “Hare Krishna!” film
→ Dandavats"

The post Daily Darshan: December 17,2017 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes 12/03/2017

Mission Statement: ECO-Vrindaban promotes simple living, cow protection, engaging oxen, local agriculture, and above all, loving Krishna, as envisioned by Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON New Vrindaban.

Participating Directors: Anuttama, Chaitanya Mangala (chair), Kripamaya, Ranaka, and Vraja.

Participating Advisors: Bhima, Jamuna Jivani (secretary), Jaya Krsna, Kalakantha (partial attendance), and Makara.

1. Ranaka’s Monthly Report

• Five cows are being milked by Ananda Vidya & Lalita Gopi at the Temple Barn: Jamuna, Surabhi, Parvati, Laxmi, and Sita. Milk production is approximately 17 gallons per day.
• Asha has been retired from the milk herd and is now residing at the Valley Barn.
• Malati returned to the Temple Barn and is due very soon.
• Sriya and Anjali are both due in February. Subhadra has been confirmed pregnant and is due at the end of May.
• There are two heifers residing at the Temple Barn: three-month old Lalita, and 11-month-old Vamsika.
• Jaya Radhe has been moved to Nandagram for breeding with Madhu. Also, Usha is currently residing with Madhu.
• Ananda Vidya continues to process approximately 15 lbs. of butter, 15 gallons of yogurt, and a half gallon of ghee on a weekly basis, and delivers them to the temple kitchen.
• The Temple Barn had many guests over Thanksgiving, including Anuradha’s friends who volunteered during an evening milking. Also, Lilasuka and her extended family came for an evening milking.
• Bhaktin Andrea has been coming every night to help with milking, as has Bhakta Kyle on occasion.
• Ray completed the work on Dharma the bull’s outside pen expansion project at the Valley Barn. Dharma is content in his new outside space.
• Ray replaced all of the old fluorescent bulbs and fixtures in the new vegetable processing room with LED lighting which is low-maintenance and energy efficient. In addition, he ran conduit and installed two electrical outlets, one of which services the new freezer.
• Ray, with Robert’s help, replaced the old deck on the front entrance of Gopal’s Garden. With the help of Brikasanga, he is replacing the siding around the front entrance to the school building.
• Ray will be handling repairs at the greenhouses at Vidya’s and at Nandagram this month.
• Caitanya Bhagavat has settled into a winter program of working with Hari Chand in the ox program for one hour each morning, and caring for the Nandagram herd.
• Suchandra cleaned out all the beds at the Teaching Garden and prepared them for winter by working them up and covering them with compost. Also, she finished planting 400 lily bulbs there. She will finish clearing the beds and digging out the dahlia bulbs at Vidya’s this month.
• Robert cleared the beds at the Community Garden and readied them for next year.
• In discussions with Robert, he shared that does not want to take on the responsibility of overseeing the vegetable gardens for 2018. That means ECO-V is still searching for a garden manager for the upcoming season.
• 2017 Total Garden Yields

Produce delivered to the Temple Kitchen (does not include Freezer Stock):

• Green beans – 336 lbs.
• Cucumbers – 20 lbs.
• Bitter melon – 30 lbs.
• Summer and patty pan squash – 166 lbs.
• Zucchini squash – 117 lbs.
• Winter squash – 15 lbs.
• Swiss chard – 78 lbs.
• Basil – 7.5 lbs.
• Kale – 23 lbs.
• Lettuce – 8 lbs.
• Carrots – 36 lbs.
• Heirloom tomatoes – 122 lbs.
• Roma tomatoes – 80 lbs.
• Cherry tomatoes – 42 lbs.
• Apples – 81 lbs.
• Plums – 25 lbs.
• Strawberries – 50 lbs.
• Blackberries – 5 lbs.
• Potatoes – 600 lbs.

Freezer Stock:

• Green Beans – 54 gallons
• Tomatoes – 33 gallons

Flowers:

• Big marigolds – 27,000
• Small marigolds – 25,000
• Lilies – 525
• Dahlias – 760
• Zinnias – 1,500
• Sunflowers – 575
• Gladiolus – 75

2. Restructuring ECO-V

The Board explored ways we can encourage more people to get involved with ECO-V. Strategies suggested included:

• Improve outreach to the local community
• Connect with people from the WVU College of Agriculture
• Build relationships with people from Grow Ohio Valley
• Review wages offered
• Continue to search within the broader community of devotees while making internal improvements within ECO-V and New Vrindaban in general
• Attract WWOOFers – Start by offering room and board, then work to eventually be able to offer paid positions and offer training. Look for interpersonal skills within the existing staff to run such a program.
• Look at possible interfaith connections
• Reassess past experiences, consider how to highlight the uniqueness of the opportunities ECO-V and New Vrindaban have offer, and revise our methods of recruitment until we find the right people

3. Village Governance vs. Non-Profit Management

Chaitanya Mangala spoke in regards to the need to identify the differences between a village governance and non-profit management, and also to develop language that helps differentiate between the two so the New Vrindaban residents & well-wishers can continue to develop & evolve a proper “self-governing village.”

4. Board & Advisor Application

The Board discussed the possibility of adopting an application recently developed by INV for director and advisor positions and also to explore other ways of increasing involvement with ECO-V. Chaitanya Mangala will share the INV application so it can be considered at the next meeting.

For regular updates please visit and like the ECO-V Facebook page.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 2017, Cape Town, South Africa, Evening Class)

I remember going door-to-door on book distribution and it was all okay until I came to this one house. The door opened and there was a monster – a huge guy, all leather clad, looking like an enormous Hells Angel. In those days, there were many of them.

I was thinking and I started to pray to Lord Nrsimhadeva, “Oh my god, how do I get out of here quietly?” but it was too late and the guy said, “What do you want?”

I go like, (high-pitched soft voice) “Book.”

He says, “Oh, how much?”

I said, “Twenty-five.”

He gave me twenty-five, took the book and said, “Get outta here!”

It is amazing. Sometimes you cannot believe who takes a book. You cannot calculate. You sort of try to figure out who is the one, who is the devotee? You look around the crowd and see one who has a nice smile but he says, “Not interested. No, thank you.”

A man in Boston said to me when I approached, “You cannot speak to me! We have not been introduced.” (laughter) I replied, “Please allow me to introduce myself.”

There are all kinds of people – nice people, crazy people, cold people, arrogant people, destitute people… People that just say that they have no money and people that really have no money. And there are also people that have no money but seem to be so nice that you give them a book for free.

Some book distributors, young men, specialise in young girls. They target only young girls. “Hi…” Blink, blink, blink! “Hi, how are you?” Anyway, those book distributors instead of carrying books; soon they will be carrying babies (laughter). What can we say? That is going on also.

When distributing books, one has to have a sense of being an instrument of the Lord and understand that the mercy is available to all…

I have been moved by the many devotees who have written me expressing their concern about the wildfires in the Carpinteria area and informing me of their prayers for me and the other residents. Your concern and prayers mean much to me, and I feel obliged to you all and offer you my heartfelt thanks. Your care is much appreciated, and you all are very dear to me.

Hare Krishna.

Your grateful servant,
Giriraj Swami

Concerned about India’s falling rank on the Global Hunger Index, ISKCON Food Relief Foundation’s Haryana chapter is to launch a campaign against hunger. Through this campaign, the foundation aims at eradicating hunger and malnutrition from India starting with the Haryana State.

Read More...

The post Daily Darshan: December 16, 2017 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Also asks about unsteady smaranam, what counts as spiritual in things that we do and are tastes eternal.

“One of our main inspirations was the book Life’s Final Exam: Death and Dying from a Vedic Perspective, edited by Giriraja Swami,” says Tarini Ganga. “It describes how in hospitals and hospices people are suffering so much, and how their families are so emotionally drained."

Kirtaniyas - Hare Krishna - Live at Bhakti Yoga Shala June 2014 in Santa Monica, California.

In the sublime atmosphere of Giriraja Govardhana, devotees immersed themselves in the magical world of Krishna’s pastimes in the association of Sacinandana Swami, Bhurijana Das, Jagattarini Dasi, Madhavananda Das and Adi Purusha Das during the annual VIHE Govardhana Retreat.

Brazil's BHaktivedanta Institute became a pioneer for being possibly the first course of bhakti-yoga to use elements of “gamification”, application of game-design elements in its curriculum. 

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 2017, Cape Town, South Africa, Evening Class)

There are techniques to book distribution. Vaisesika Prabhu is not only a leading distributor in our society but Vaisesika has demystified it. Book distribution has always been sort of a mystical thing! How do you do it – is it hypnosis OR is it just being assertive OR do you sweet talk people into it, “Hi, are you from here or out of town? Well, you are the lucky one! Congratulations, only a hundred people today get a promotional copy of this book. There you go… ”

Then comes that point when you have to ask them for money, “You know, maybe you can help out a little with the printing costs. In the shop, a book like this goes for a lot more but today on the streets, we are only asking for the printing cost and whatever extra you give, it goes for the good work. You have a good heart!” All kinds of things; just trying to talk people into it.

Some people just naturally sell books but others struggle. There seemed to be some kind of mystic power that some people had whereas others did not. Of course, some people can sell anything, they are just salesmen but is that what it takes?

Anyway, Vaisesika did not just give pep talks but he started to do seminars where he explained what to do and one technique that he presented was ‘asking a question’. A question is a hook. That is one major principle he has, to keep on asking questions. Try not to tell things but ask questions. That is a good tip, it is something not all of us knew.

“Are you from Cape Town or are you from out of town?” Keep them busy. “Are you a student or are you are working? What do you do? Something academic? You look very intelligent.”

Flatter; there is no such thing as flattering too much, Vaisesika says. You think that you would have to be a little subtle about it. No. He says the more you flatter, the better.

I do not know if you can deal with all these technical things but it is very interesting. On YouTube, there are some of his seminars. He is now the international leader of book distribution who can really teach us how to do it. His approach is that we are not only trying to sell a book but we are trying to keep the relationship positive at every stage. He has definitely got it down. I am not that smooth a salesman. I am sometimes too strong, sometimes too overpowering a presence for people. Apparently. What to do? Such is life.

On November 5th, under the guidance and mercy of Lord Nityananda’s Padukas and Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Sitari, Their Graces Jananivas (Mayapur Head Pujari) and Vraja Vilas (TOVP Global Fundraising Director) prabhus set off for a month long TOVP fundraising tour to Australasia (Australia, New Zealand and Fiji). Their Graces Ambarisa and Svaha prabhus joined them in Melbourne, Australia.

Several similar tours have already been successfully completed around the world and the Lord’s direction is always seen as the guiding hand in this service. The conviction of the fundraising team is that by serving the Holy Dhama of Sri Mayapur all temples will benefit in the same way that rising water raises the level of all boats and ships floating within it. Srila Prabhupada confirmed this esoteric principle when he said:

“The more you help develop Mayapur, the more Lord Chaitanya will bless your area of the world and it will flourish.”

Letter to Hari-sauri

The tour stopped in the cities and communities listed below and achieved great success, being met by enthusiastic and supportive devotees who made small and large financial sacrifices according to their means for the project. The total amount of pledges exceeded $3 million U.S., an astounding amount considering the small size of some of the communities. All these devotees are to be thanked.

The following leaders are to be thanked for their cooperative and dedicated spirit in helping to make this tour a success, as well as all the general devotees who helped them to organize the events.

Ramai Swami
Devamrta Swami
Bir Krishna Goswami
Sitaram das
Adi Purusha Krishna das
Aniruddha das
Vijay Gopikesha das
Ajit das
Jaya Vijay das
Varshana Radhe devi dasi
Kalasamvara das
Visvanath das
Jayram das
Parasuram das
Gita Kirti devi dasi

February 7th, 2018 will mark yet another milestone in the progress towards the completion of the TOVP. The two remaining Chakras will be placed upon the Domes above Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s altar and Lord Nrsimhadeva’s altar. This will be an historic event and a once-in-a-lifetime occasion to attend.

To sponsor an abhisheka for one or both Chakras please go to:
https://tovp.org/donate/once-in-a-lifetime-chakra-abhisheka-seva-opportunity/

The post TOVP Australasia Tour Report appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

[Brahmachari class at ISKCON, Nasik, India]

Podcast

The post Dealing with insecurities – Hindi appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Chant: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare And Be Happy!!

Bhagavad Gita As It Is (18.66)
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah

Translation

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.

Special Extended Program

 10.45 - 11.00 Tulsi Puja

 11.00 - 11.30 Guru Puja  Pushpanjali To Srila Prabhupada

 11:30 - 11:55 Aarti & Kirtan           

 11.55 - 12.00 Sri Nrsingadeva Prayers

 12.00 -   1:00 Vedic discourse

   1:00 -   1:40 Closing Kirtan

   1.40 -   2.00 Sanctified Free Vegetarian Feast

 

COMING UP AHEAD

Putrada Ekadasi
Fasting.....................on Fri Dec 29th,2017
Breakfast................  on  Sat Dec 30th ,2017 b/w 7.42am-8.25am

Every fortnight, we observe Ekadasi, a day of prayer and meditation. On this day we fast (or simplify our meals and abstain from grains and beans), and spend extra time reading the scriptures and chanting the auspicious Hare Krishna mantra.By constantly ‘exercising’ our minds through regular japa we can train our senses to push the threshold of contentment.
 

English audio glorification of all Ekadasis is available here 
 

Christmas For Kids
Celebration on Mon Dec 25th at 11am

Please get your chid registered with our Sun School ASAP to receive gift from Bhakta Santa.
To register:
Email:sundayschool108@gmail.com
 

ONGOING PROGRAMS

 

Japathon-Congregational Mantra Meditation

Next date is to be announced shortly!

The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His Energy to give protection to the conditioned soul.japa, when performed with focus and attention, can subdue the agitating effects of one’s mind and senses. The senses, of which the mind is also one, are constantly being stimulated by the external world  - by gross and subtle matter.
If you have not chanted before, and would like to participate in this program, we will be very happy to show how you can do this.
All welcome. We’ll loan you a set of Beads!


Sunday School

To register,contact us
Email:sundayschool108@gmail.com
Call:647.893.9363

The Sunday School provides fun filled strategies through the medium of music, drama, debates, quizzes and games that present Vedic Culture to children. However the syllabus is also designed to simultaneously teach them to always remember Krishna and never forget Him. School
The Sunday School follows the curriculum provided by the Bhaktivedanta College of Education and Culture (BCEC).

Monthly sankirtan Festival(MSF)

“One who has life can preach, and one who preaches gets life.”(Previous Acaryas)

Every member of ISKCON should have the opportunity to make advancement in Krishna consciousness by preaching.We encourage everyone to come out and participate and make Srila Prabhupada happy.

Please contact:
Dharma Dasa- dharandev58@gmail.com-647.892.0739(Mississauga and Brampton regions)

The Mentorship Program

Please note that registration in the Mentorship System is now a mandatory requirement for all initiation requests at ISKCON Brampton.It

1.Facilitates  and nurtures devotees aspiring for first and second Initiation.    
2.One-on-One personal follow up on a regular basis.
3.Systematic training to devotees in matters of Philosophy, Sadhna, Vaishnava behavior, etiquette, Lifestyle and attitudes.

To find details please click here

Gift Shop

Are you looking for some amazing gift items which are less expensive and more beautiful for your loved ones for festivals or many other occasions??
Our boutique is stocked with an excellent range of products, perfect for gifts or as souvenirs of your visit. It offers textiles, jewellery, incense, devotional articles, musical instruments, books, and CDs inspired by Indian culture.We're open on all Sundays and celebrations marked in our annual calendar.